Surely they are even worse than the Christmas markets/Winter Wonderland horrors that every town 'boasts' these days?
I went past ours on the tram the other day and got hideous flashbacks to the few times I took my dc to sit on a tiny patch of sand being accosted by them to go on endless rides and purchase overpriced snacks, occasionally venturing into a tiny paddling pool. No space and absolutely nothing like the experience of going to an actual beach or even a proper lido.
Our city has a very nice square with a lovely water feature that kids can run around in and splash about which is much better than the bloody 'beach' but is out of action for the whole summer due to it. It also has loads of benches and walls to sit on and I used to like taking the dc, treating them to a Greggs and a treat drink and just sitting there while they splashed around. Mine are too old anyway now but it still annoys me that there's actually only a few weeks in the year when you can do that before the whole space gets taken over.
I get that there is a drive to get more people into city centres but is anyone actually drawn to these things? Surely there is a better way to use the space.